I'm a big fan of the Mac as a computing platform. No, OS X isn't more secure than Vista. But there are a lot less folks looking to exploit it and it's certainly architected (as is Vista) in a more secure fashion than Windows XP.

But does that mean you should be using all of Apple's applications. Like the Safari browser? Not necessarily. The CSO (chief security officer) of PayPal goes on a bit of a tirade in this NetworkWorld article about why Safari isn't a good option - for those that care about security anyway.

The reality is that he's right. I personally use Firefox on all my devices (both Macs, PCs, and virtualized PCs running on my Mac). I do that because of NoScript. I've mentioned that plug-in before, but until it is ported to (or that capability included in) the other browsers, I'm not going anywhere. It's that important.

So yes, Safari is missing some stuff. Like no built-in phishing filter or support for extended validation SSL certificates. I find the former to be a much bigger issue than the latter, as evidenced in today's Daily Incite. But suffice it to say, these aren't deal breakers for me. It's all about NoScript and that drives me to Firefox.

Photo credit: karmablue